1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to medical instruments and, more particularly, to an improved lipectomy device.
2. Background.
Suction lipectomies are surgical procedures carried out to remove excess adipose tissue from the body for improved cosmetic appearance and as an aid in certain life-threatening situations. In the conventional lipectomy procedure, the surgeon inserts a suction cannula, which is a hollow tube connected to a suction source, under the skin and then moves the cannula tip back and forth so that it can break away fat globules which are then sucked into the cannula and away from the body. This procedure is crude and requires much time and effort on the part of the surgeon. It can result in extensive bruising of body tissues, the development of massive hematomas, etc. There is also the real danger of dislodging pieces of fat which are not subsequently suctioned away by the cannula but which can later be picked up by the blood stream and cause an embolism, with potentially fatal results.
Rotating cutting blades heretofore utilized for small surgical procedures such as arthroscopic surgery have not been employed for lipectomies. Usually, such cutters do not have suction cannulas associated therewith and if such are associated, the suction is weak and the blade tips are left exposed in order to render them useful in directly cutting cartilage, bone fragments and the like.
There remains a need for an improved lipectomy device which will quickly break up and fully remove human adipose body tissue without creating a danger of developing hematomas and embolisms. Such a device should be simple, compact, portable, durable and efficient. It should be capable of rapidly achieving hemostasis at the surgery site with a minimum of effort and difficulty.